A woman triumphantly waves a "California Republic" flag and carries an armful of freshly-harvested marijuana plants. She is depicted against a yellow sky with billowing clouds at sunrise. Text in the scroll at the bottom reads, "Sow the seeds of Victory!" Cal NORML.

Cal NORML Election Guide 2026


A woman waving a "California Republic" flag carries an armful of marijuana plants. She is depicted against a yellow sunlit background. Text at the bottom reads, "Sow the seeds of Victory!" Cal NORML.

Cal NORML Voter Guide to Cannabis Candidates

November 2026 Election

Got input on candidates or races? Write here.

Artwork: Ruth Anne

Quick Links: EXECUTIVE / CONGRESS / STATE SENATE / STATE ASSEMBLY / LOCAL

Governor

Xavier Becerra has posted a consistently good record on cannabis issues in a career spanning 12 terms as an L.A. Congressman, then Attorney General of California, then Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden.   As A.G. of California in 2016, Becerra told Politico he would be defending California’s new law legalizing marijuana against possible federal interference. …

Prop. 215 activists with their Lifetime Achievement Awards, presented by the CA State Fair. Photo by Matt Allen.

Prop. 215 Activists Celebrated at CA State Fair

Prop. 215 activists were honored at the California State Fair on Saturday, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the passage of the landmark Compassionate Use Act.

“Thirty years ago, this whole wonderful event here was inconceivable. it was a mandatory felony to grow or sell any marijuana, anywhere in the US,” Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer, a co-author of the Compassionate Use Act, said in a speech at Saturday’s event. “But a growing number of people were discovering that marijuana was useful for AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain, and many other conditions.…

Area chart titled "Marijuana Arrests by Race 2015-2024" shows cannabis crimes in California, with arrests for White (blue), Black (orange), and Hispanic (gray) individuals declining—though disproportionate arrests persist, especially for Hispanic individuals. Ca NORML

Blacks and Latinos Disproportionately Arrested for Cannabis Crimes in California

Stacked area chart titled "Marijuana Arrests by Race 2015-2025" shows declining cannabis crimes for Whites (blue), Blacks (orange), and Latinos (gray), with all groups experiencing significant decreases over time. Ca NORML

Although the number of people arrested for cannabis crimes in California has dramatically declined since the voters legalized adult use and sales of cannabis in 2016, people of Latino descent are more than twice as likely as Whites to be arrested for cannabis crimes in California, and Blacks are more than five times more likely. These racial disparities have worsened since legalization.

According to the 2025 Crime in California report released by California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta on July 1, the felony marijuana arrest rate decreased 13.3% in 2025 (440 in 2024 to 399 in 2025).…

A pair of hands, one in a handcuff and the other breaking free, are raised against a background of marijuana leaves. The image suggests liberation or freedom in the context of Prop. 64 and marijuana arrests. CA Norml

Benefits of Legal Cannabis Under Prop 64

Infographic showing the benefits of legal cannabis in California under Prop 64: 215,000 crimes expunged, 80,000 jobs created, $7 billion in taxes generated, decreased crime rates, reduced arrests, no rise in auto fatalities or youth use, and increased parental rights. Ca NORML

Since Californians legalized adult cannabis use and sales 10 years ago in 2016, our state and its citizens have seen many benefits from the laws that Prop. 64 put in place.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS BENEFITS

A map of California highlights Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Trinity counties in green. Text reads: "Budist 2025 California Cannabis Harvest Report" with a cannabis leaf icon. Forest graphics border the image. Ca NORML

Budist 2025 California Cannabis Harvest Report Released

A map of California highlights Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Trinity counties in green. Text reads: "Budist 2025 California Cannabis Harvest Report" with a cannabis leaf icon. Forest graphics border the image. Ca NORML

A well-attended event in Berkeley on Saturday, May 16 presented the Budist 2025 California Cannabis Harvest Report, with outdoor farmers represented from the report’s covered counties: Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, Lake, Nevada and Santa Cruz. Starting from DCC dashboard numbers and adding in the number of licensees producing outdoor crops, the report highlights farmers and cultivars in each region, and looks at statewide trends.

The 2025 outdoor cannabis harvest was the largest since 2022; however all counties in the report except Mendocino lost market share in California’s outdoor market in 2025 vs.…

A diverse group gathers in front of the U.S. Capitol building for Lobby Day, holding signs supporting cannabis legalization and Latino representation, during an outdoor press event organized by the Cannabis Unity Coalition on a sunny day. Ca NORML

Cal NORML Joins Cannabis Unity Coalition Lobby Day in DC

The Cannabis Unity Coalition press conference at the US Capitol on May 14, 2026

Cal NORML participated in Cannabis Unity Coalition lobby day last week in Washington, DC to lobby for full cannabis decriminalization, release of federal marijuana prisoners, and the clearing of records for past marijuana convictions.

Watch the coalition press conference held at the US Capitol at which Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (D-NV) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke, along with Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN). Read more.

Also speaking were representatives from Latino and Indigenous groups, prisoner advocates, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, NORML, MPP, DPA, and others.…

A cannabis vape pen rests atop two green cannabis leaves.

Cal NORML Pilot Study Finds Using Cannabis Vape Pens Less Harmful Than Smoked Joints

A cannabis vape pen rests atop two green cannabis leaves.

Cannabis vape pens expose users to significantly less harmful toxins than smoked joints, according to a new lab study  sponsored by California NORML.  The study compared the emissions of two different vape pens – a disposable and a reusable cartridge model – with pre-roll joints purchased from a San Diego dispensary.  The vape pens emitted significantly cleaner emissions than the joint for almost all toxins tested, and, unlike the joint, were within EPA safe daily exposure limits for regular users.

“The dangers of vapes have been misrepresented by anti-smoking advocates to suggest their emissions are as hazardous as smoke,” says Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer. …

A woman triumphantly waves a "California Republic" flag and carries an armful of freshly-harvested marijuana plants. She is depicted against a yellow sky with billowing clouds at sunrise. Text in the scroll at the bottom reads, "Sow the seeds of Victory!" Cal NORML.

Cal NORML Election Guide and Results – Primary Election 2026


A woman waving a "California Republic" flag carries an armful of marijuana plants. She is depicted against a yellow sunlit background. Text at the bottom reads, "Sow the seeds of Victory!" Cal NORML.

Cal NORML Voter Guide to Cannabis Candidates

June 2026 Primary Election

Got input on candidates or races? Write here.

Artwork: Ruth Anne

UPDATED 6/29/26

Quick Links: EXECUTIVE / CONGRESS / STATE SENATE / STATE ASSEMBLY / LOCAL

Governor

RESULTS: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are heading to the November run-off. Hilton recently said he thinks California’s cannabis taxes are too high.   

Xavier Becerra – In 2016, as California’s Attorney General, Becerra told Politico he would be defending California’s new law legalizing marijuana against possible federal interference, and admitted he tried weed “at a younger time.”…

Todd Blanche signing order

Justice Department Orders State-Licensed Medical Marijuana to Schedule III, Sets Hearings for Broader Rescheduling

Todd Blanche signing order

UPDATE 5/19/26 : The DCC has issued a Notice of Rulemaking to allow for existing licensees who hold a license with both a medicinal and Adult-Use designation to be issued separate Medicinal and Adult-Use licenses.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has signed an order immediately placing both “FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license” in Schedule III. The action is taken “under his authority to reschedule drugs to carry out the United States’ obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs,” according to a press release from DOJ.…

A gold pin in the shape of a cannabis leaf, inspired by Cal NORML advocacy, is attached to the lapel of a dark blue textured suit jacket. Ca NORML

4/20/26 Specials from Cal NORML: Gifts and Discounts for Personal and Business Memberships

A gold pin in the shape of a cannabis leaf, inspired by Cal NORML advocacy, is attached to the lapel of a dark blue textured suit jacket. Ca NORML

Join Cal NORML now through the end of April with a discounted $42 Gold Membership and get a free thank-you gift: Our popular gold lapel pin in the shape of a pot leaf (shown). It’s a great way to represent your support for Cal NORML and cannabis!

Join Cal NORML through 4/30 and we will send your gift to you by mail. Membership renewals qualify; email here if you are unsure of your membership status. Members receive our printed newsletter and discounts on events and items throughout the year.…